Bill Keegan served as the supervisor for the night shift for nine months at Ground Zero following the attacks on 9/11. His experience and his commitment to public service and giving back led to the creation of HEART 9/11. The organization stands for Healing Emergency Aid Response Team.

The group of first responders, including retired police, firefighters, and building trades skilled workers from NYC. This team of heroes responds to natural and man-made disasters helping people recover.

Along the lines of their mission, the latest endeavor has taken the team to a place called Africatown, Alabama. The town was featured in a Netflix documentary being the location of the last Slave Ship anchored there in 1860.

Bill was inspired to step in and help the people who are descendants of slaves who are struggling through difficult economic times.

HEART 9/11 will be deploying 30 volunteers to rebuild more than a dozen homes for residents. They'll be joining a local organization Last Out Community Foundation founded by Cleon Jones from the 1969 Miracle Mets. It's a big gesture for a small community hit hard by the economy and natural disasters over the years.

Bill Keegan is a good man who took his life experiences and turned his passion into a mission to help people.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own. Bill Spadea is on the air weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., talkin’ Jersey, taking your calls at 1-800-283-1015.

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.

Up or down? Average property tax changes in NJ in 2022

Below are the average property tax bills for every municipality in New Jersey last year.

The towns are listed from the biggest cut in the average bill to the highest increase. On the county maps, the deeper red color means a higher increase above 2% whereas the darker green signifies a smaller increase or a reduction.

Each listing also shows how the average tax bill is split among the county, school and municipal governments.

Most affordable places to live in New Jersey

SmartAsset released a study analyzing the most affordable places to live in New Jersey. The eighth annual study weighed several factors, including taxes, homeowners’ insurance, and home costs relative to the local median income.

More From New Jersey 101.5 FM